Iceland, July-August 2019

Two weeks traveling in Iceland in the very middle of the crowded summer season.

At the beginning we have stayed for four short summer nights in a very nice large summer house named Sólvellir in the south-western Iceland, built on the forrested Skógarberg hill situated on the territory of Bergsstaðir farm. We reached it after a long evening drive from Keflavík (airport) discovering by the way the advantages of visiting acclaimed touristy places in an asynchronous mode to the crowds — late evening, early morning, or… midnight — there’s even enough light for making pictures.

Based there, on the first day we visited some of the attractions of the so-called Golden Circle: the trustworthy geysir Stokkur (a show each 7 minutes), Gulfoss and Faxi waterfalls, Þingvellir historical and geological site, towns Reykholt, Flúðir, Selfoss, the cathedral of Skálholt.

During the second day we made a trip towards Hekla in order to visit the northern part of the mighty Þjórsá River valley up to the Búrfell power plant visiting on the way the Gaukshövði viewpoint, Hjálparfoss waterfall, Stöng archeological site and the green Gjáin valley.

On the third day we made a hike to the table mountain Þórólsfell, just opposite the mighty glaciated volcano Eyjafjallajökull and the Þórsmörk valley. Yes, Eyjafjallajökull is the (in)famous volcano whose eruption in March 2010 threw so much fine ashes high into the atmosphere that disrupted air traffic all over the European continent.

Then we started a road trip staying mainly on campings, interrupted with short hikes to the surroundings. Being the first time on the island, but having two weeks only, we decided to leave the western fjords for a future trip. Taking advantage of the (limited) 4×4-capabilities of our car, allowing us to take gravel roads, we crossed the highlands on F35 road northwards from Gullfoss area via Kerlingarfjöll and Hveravallir directly to the north coast in order to make a clockwise trip roughly around the island trying at first to avoid so far as possible the ubiquitous Ring Road [1], but then forced to take it all the way along the eastern and western coast back to the city of Reykyavík for one afternoon before the flight.

The route of the road trip was (night stays in bold typeface):

Bergsstaðir — Gulfoss — over the gravel road [F35] to Kerlingarfjöll (sleeping in Ásgarður campsite and hiking in Hveradalir) — Hveravallir hot pot — the Blöndulón lake — Blönduós town, from where a side trip around the Vatsnes peninsula: Hvammstangi town, Illgustaðir seals site, Hvítserkur viewpoint, Borgarvirki fortress — then over Þverárfjallsvegur [744] — Sauðárkrókur town — Hólar with the old cathedral — around the Tröllaskagi peninsula with towns Hofsós, Siglufjörður, Ólafsfjörður, Dalvík — to Akureyri city — the Goðafoss waterfall — Aldeyjarfoss — Goðafoss again — the Mývatn Lake by Reykjahlið — hike up to the Vindbelgjarfjall top, hike in Dimmuborgir and in Krafla areas (Leirhnjúkur volcano) — the Dettifoss waterfall — Vesturdalur campsite — visit to Hljóðaklettar rocks — Ásbyrgi — hike to the Eyjan table mountain, the Botnstjörn Lake — Dettifoss — long route over the highlands on the road [1] — Egilstaðir city — Bakkagerði (disturbing puffins on the island of Hafnarhólmi in Borgarfjarðarhöfn) — Egilstaðir — Eastern Fjords all along the [1] road with the Vattarnes peninsula first, driven through towns Reyðarfjörður, Fáskrúðsfjörður, Stöðvarfjörður, Breiðdalsvík, Djúpivogur — the coast up to Stafafellsfjöll — upwards the valley of the Jökulsá í Lóni River — Kamar campsite — Höfn (langoustines!) — hike by Skálafell farm to Skálafellsjökull — Jökullsarlón — Fjallsarlón — Sandfell abandoned farm site — Svínafell village camping — Skaftafell visitor center — hike fo Svartifoss, Sjónasker, Sel — Kirkjubæjarklaustur — Vík — Reynisdrangar beach — Dyrhólaey — Vík — Þakgil — hike via Sker to Mýrdallsjökull edge — Þakgil –Hjörleifshöfði — Vík –Skógafoss — Seljandsfoss — Hvolsvöllur — Leirubakki — power plant Hellisheiðarvirkjun by Hveragerði — Reykyavík city — Keflavík